§ SIR HOWARD VINCENT (Sheffield, Central)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for War, if he is aware that Metropolitan Volunteer Corps are keeping, at considerable expense, all their rifles in the armouries in anticipation of the promised issue of the new weapon; and, if, as the drill season 186 is about to commence, and arrangements are being made for class firing and prize shooting throughout the summer, he can now say definitely whether such rearmament can take place forthwith, and, failing this, if it will not be better to postpone it until November, the calling-in of rifles in the middle of the Volunteer year entailing much trouble and loss of opportunity of going through the annual course of musketry?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (Mr. BRODRICK,) Surrey, GuildfordIt is intended to rearm the whole Volunteer force with the magazine rifle, and the rearmament can commence forthwith. The new rifle can be placed at once in the hands of the whole of the Volunteers of the Home District, but before this is done the Colonels of the different corps will be consulted.
§ COLONEL DENNY (Kilmarnock Burghs)asked if the hon. Gentleman would reply to the question of which he had given him notice with regard to the ammunition for the new rifle and the price of it?
§ MR. BRODRICKsaid, that question had not been entirely settled yet, but it was being considered. They would endeavour to fix the price as low as they could.